[Update: To see video of the discussion and passage of HB 2942, click here.]
[Update II: For more media coverage on the bill, click here.]
[Update III: HB 2942 unanimously passed its final reading in the House and will now go to the Senate.]
With Texas already getting approximately $16 billion in federal stimulus funds—not to mention the opportunity for state, local, and private entities to access much more that that amount in competitive grants contained in the Recovery Act—the House took an essential step towards ensuring that Texas implements its share of those funds in transformative and transparent ways. HB 2942 passed its second reading in the House on Thursday night, and it will be ready to be finally passed and sent along to the Senate on Friday.
A bipartisan group of legislators—Representatives Dunnam, Crownover, Gattis, Turner, and Coleman—came together to create the bill, which would make some permanent and temporary changes to the way the state spends and tracks its money. Among the provisions included in the bill is the creation of the Recovery Act Accountability Board, which will define performance measures, create public-private collaboration, and help agencies look for opportunities to combine funding and functions related to the Recovery Act, among other duties.
Earlier in the afternoon, the House also passed Representative Pitts' HB 4583, which would establish a separate fund to hold all funds related to the federal Recovery Act. Also on Thursday, the Senate passed their own version of the Recovery Act fund in Senator Duncan's SB 2567.
Texas Impact has been working for measures like these since before the federal law was even passed in mid-February. As these bills and the process of implementing Texas' share of these funds move forward, Texas Impact will continue to be involved and keep its members updated.
